The Federal Government has suspended the issuance of petrol import licences for the second consecutive month, citing improved local refining capacity that is increasingly meeting domestic demand.
The move is in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which restricts the issuance of import licences when local production is sufficient to meet national requirements.
The development follows data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which showed that the majority of petrol supplied in Nigeria in February came from local refineries.
The Head of Public Affairs at NMDPRA, George Ene-Ita, confirmed that the authority has not issued any petrol import licences this year.
“We have not issued import licences this year because local production has met national requirements for PMS,” Ene-Ita said.
“There is no need to issue licences when domestic sources can adequately supply the market. Should there be a shortfall, the situation will be reassessed,” he added.
According to data from the NMDPRA, the Dangote Refinery accounted for about 64 per cent of the country’s petrol supply, supplemented by rollover stock from previous months.
Oil marketing companies, including TotalEnergies SE, Conoil Plc, and MRS Nigeria Plc, which imported about 25 per cent of Nigeria’s petrol needs in January, have therefore not been granted import licences.
Industry analysts say the development represents a major boost for the Dangote Refinery, which has repeatedly stated its capacity to meet local demand.
The refinery, which has a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels of crude per day, is currently operating at about 78 per cent capacity, according to the NMDPRA.
